Evaluation of the neutron radiation environment inside the International Space Station based on the Bonner Ball Neutron Detector experiment

Radiation dosimetry onboard the International Space Station ISS

“…A suite of radiation detectors was flown. These detectors included the instruments flown as part of the DosMap [34] instrumentation -the first german experiment on the US LAB of the ISS -a TEPC (NASA), an anthrophomorphic upper torso equipped with passive radiation detectors (NASA) and the Japanese BonnerBall experiment [36]. DosMap measured with active (DOSTEL and LIULIN) and passive devices the radiation environment in the US LAB during expedition 2.…”

Recommendations to mitigate against human health risks incurred due to energetic particle irradiation beyond low earth orbit/BLEO

“…Fig. 4 from [35] presents integrated fluence spectra of six extreme SEP events recorded in the spacecraft era during solar cycles [19][20][21][22]. This plot shows that the August 1972 event produced, among the six SEPs represented, the greatest number of protons with energies 410 MeV, although it had fewer protons with energies 4150 MeV than the events of February 1956 and November 1960.…”

“…More recent accounts of neutron measurements made aboard the International Space Station are contained in several studies e.g. [21,25].…”

Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Neutron Energy Spectra from Thermal to 15 MeV with Bonner Ball Neutron Detector in Aircraft

“…For the low-energy-range measurement, we chose the Bonner Ball Neutron Detector (BBND) developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)). 16,17) The BBND has a standard Bonner ball energy range, and there is doubt regarding the accuracy of its high-energy-range measurement over 15 MeV. Therefore, the two spectrometers shared the measuring energy range; the BBND measured the low energy range from thermal to 15 MeV, and the phoswich detector measured the high energy range from 5 MeV to hundreds of MeV.…”